www.irishtimes.com

Explanations: No. 14636 – Monday, 28 November 2011

Mon, Nov 28, 2011, 23:59

It’s often necessary to make a reference in a clue to a single letter “O”, and over the decades cryptic crossword setters have come up with an exhaustive list of possibilities. Included are zero, round, around, ring, circle, love and duck. A “duck” turns up in today’s puzzle:

14D: Duck with a bad leg and eye (4) Our duck has many crosses to bear, it seems. If we assume the “duck” here is the letter O, then combining it with a “bad leg”, an anagram of “leg” (GLE), we get our answer OGLE, a word meaning to “eye”.

The term “duck” is used in cricket for a score of 0, and it’s thought that it is a shortened orom of “the duck’s egg”. The idea is that a 0 looks like a duck’s egg in shape. Similarly, a score of 0 in tennis may have been referred to as “l’oeuf” in French, meaning “the egg”. That “l’oeuf” apparently evolved into our contemporary score in tennis of “love”.

Please feel free to leave a comment below. If you have a question about today’s puzzle I am sure that I, or a fellow solver, can answer it for you.

How did you fare with this crossword?

Across
8 One company gets the accountant, the other the French drink (4,4)
One company (CO) gets “the accountant” (CA) the other company (CO) gets “the” French (LA) = COCA-COLA: drink. 9 Poorly bred and is just trash (6) DEBR-IS
Poorly “bred” (DEBR) and “is” (IS) = DEBRIS: just trash. 10 Place for the French swallowing not one calorie (6) L(O-CAL)E
“The” French (L-E) swallowing “not one calorie” (O-CAL) for = LOCALE: place. 11 Work hard changing the tyre and clean up with this (8) TOIL-ETRY
Work hard (TOIL) changing the “tyre” (ETRY) and = TOILETRY: clean up with this. 12 With me, that’s ten to one hundred around the country (6) ME-X-I-C-O
With “me” (ME) that’s “ten” (X) to “one” “hundred” (I-C) a-round (O) = MEXICO: the country. 13 Turning back to the allotment outside (8) R(OT)ATION
The allotment (R-ATION) outside “back ‘to’” (OT) = ROTATION: turning. 15 Wanting the ant to go for part of the bird (4) WING
Wanting (W-ant-ING) the “ant” to go (-ANT) for = WING: part of the bird. 17 Conclude it’s back on the fire (7) INFER-NO
Conclude (INFER) it’s back “on” (NO) = INFERNO: the fire. 19 Reprimand the last holding a business degree (7) LA(MBA)ST
The “last” (LA-ST) holding “a business degree” (MBA) = LAMBAST: reprimand. 22 What makes us use you? (4) THE-E
What makes us use (what turns “us” into “us-e” is THE E) = THEE: you. 24 Sat longer and half-turned to Father inside, say (8) SA(TUR-DA)Y
Inside “say” (SA-Y) [half “tur-ned” (TUR) to “father” (DA)] and = SATURDAY: “Sat” longer. 27 About to get an arty sounding reply (6) RE-TO-RT
About (RE) to (TO) get an “arty” sounding (RT) = RETORT: reply. 29 It’s not your vehicle that can’t manoeuvre in the back (4-1-3) RE(NT-A-C)AR
In “the back” (RE-AR) that “can’t” manoeuvre (NTAC) = RENT-A-CAR: it’s not your vehicle. 30 Try moving a six-footer like Stalin, say (6) TYR-ANT
“Try” moving (TYR) a six-footer (ANT) = TYRANT: like Stalin, say. 31 It starts with a G, under-used, and it ends in G (6) G-ERUND
It starts with “a G” (G) “under” used (ERUND) and = GERUND: it ends in G. 32 It’s exhaustive though quick, and none too smooth (8) THO-ROUGH
“Though” quick (THO) and “none too smooth” (ROUGH) it’s = THOROUGH: exhaustive.

Down
1 Sullen doctor with a girl’s name (6)
MO-ROSE
Doctor (MO) with “a girl’s name” (ROSE) = MOROSE: sullen. 2 Mine contains silver, and a last letter that might be read (8) M(AG-A-Z)INE
Mine (M-INE) contains [silver (AG) and “a last letter” (A Z)] = MAGAZINE: that might be read. 3 Moderate getting one-dimensional in the city (4,4) T(ONE-D)OWN
In “the city” (T-OWN) one-dimensional (ONE-D) getting = TONE DOWN: moderate. 4 Light fifty before joining the Royal Navy (7) L-ANTE-RN
Fifty (L) before (ANTE) joining “the Royal Navy” (RN) = LANTERN: light. 5 Not in control of the commercial break? (6) AD-RIFT
The commercial break (AD RIFT) = ADRIFT: not in control. 6 The thing is, the job interfered with moving etc (6) OBJ-ECT
The “job” interfered with (OBJ) moving “etc” (ECT) is = OBJECT: the thing. 7 Six outers fragmented like glass (8) VI-TREOUS
Six (VI) “outers” fragmented (ITREOUS) = VITREOUS: like glass. 14 Duck with a bad leg and eye (4) O-GLE
Duck (O) with a bad “leg” (GLE) and = OGLE: eye. 16 For the little bit I owe, say thanks (4) I-O-TA
I (I) “owe” say (O) thanks (TA) for = IOTA: the little bit. 18 Ax in need to be straightened (8) NE(A-TEN)ED
In “need” (NE-ED) a-x (A-TEN) to be = NEATENED: straightened. 20 Introduction of some new air gave George Russell the quota (8) AE-RATION
George Russell (AE) the quota (RATION) gave = AERATION: introduction of some new air. 21 At the English city it might be Othello making a comeback for the start of 11-across (8) BATH-ROOM
At “the English city” (BATH) it might be Othello, ‘Moor’, making a comeback (ROOM) for = BATHROOM: TOILET (the start of TOILET-RY). 23 To add water he catches the yard rat (7) H(YD-RAT)E
He (H-E) catches “the yard” “rat” (YD-RAT) = HYDRATE: to add water. 25 A crazy nut to regret being disloyal (6) UNT-RUE
A crazy “nut” (UNT) to regret (RUE) being = UNTRUE: disloyal. 26 Determine what comes after the seaside, it sounds like (6) DECIDE
The “seaside” it sounds like (C-SIDE) what comes after (D-SIDE) it sounds like = DECIDE: determine. 28 Break a promise about a gene mutation (6) RE-NEGE
About (RE) a “gene” mutation (NEGE) = RENEGE: break (a promise).